Improvement in fire-extinguishers



inventori Witnesses:

IlV PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALLACE H. BATE, OF MEDFORD, AND GEORGE F. PINKHAM, 0F CAMBRIDGE,

MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-EXTING'UISHERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 88,359, dated March 30, 1869.

To all whom t may concern: I

Beit known that we, IVALLACE H. BA'rE,.

ful Improvements in Fire- Extinguishers, ofV

which the following is a full, clear, andexact description, reference being had to the'accompanying drawings, making part of this speci cation, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of our improved fire-extinguisher. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the center of the saine; Fig. 3, detail to be referred to.

This invention relates .i to an improved device whereby the acid and alkali may be kept separate from each other until the apparatus is required to be brought into use; and consists in an open or closed receptacle for containing one of the gas-generating ingredients, so placed and arranged within the main resl ervoir or receptacle that it may be readily turned over therein by means of suitable meehanism operated from the outside of the apparatus when it is desired to bring the acid and alkali into contact with each other for the purpose of generating carbonic-acid gas.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand and use our invention, we will proceed to describe the manner in which we have earried it out.

In the said drawings, A represents a cylindrical vessel or reservoir, formed of copper or other suitable material, of sufficient thickness to withstand the internal pressure to whichitis required to be subjected. This receptacle A is intended to be entirely or partially filled with a suitable alkaline solution, (we prefer water and bicarbonate of soda,) the mouth or opening at the top of the reservoir A being tightly closed by a screw-cap, B. To the under side of the cap B are secured two eyes, a, for

.the reception of the hooks at the upperl extremity of awire frame, C, the bottom of which extends downwithin the receptacleA sufficiently far to allow space for the receptacle E to turn freely therein. The 'horizontal portion b of the frame c passes through two eyes, d, projecting from the bottom of a niet-allie socket,

D, in which is secured a receptacle, E, of glass or other suitable material, for containing sulphuric or other suitable acid, the upper portion of this receptacle being protected by a metallic collar, e, held in place by rods f, connected with the socket D. The mouth of the receptacle E is closed by a stopper, g, which is secured to the lower end of a rod, h, which slides through a stuffing-box in the cap B, and is provided with a knob, H, at its upper end.

KI/Vhen the stopper is in place the receptacle E will be supported within the frame C in the position seen in Fig. 2, and the acid and alkali will then be kept entirely separate from each other, so that the apparatus may be subjected to rough handling during.transportation, or even turned bottom side up, without any liability of the gas-generating ingredients coming into contact with each other, thus entirely avoiding theleakage which has heretofore been liable to occur ou account ofthe constant pressure within the apparatus, and which has, in very many instances, rendered these machines worthless in time of need.

When, however, the apparatus is required to be brought into use, the stopper g is with drawn by taking hold of the knob H and raising the rod h, which leaves the upper end of the receptacle unsupported, when it will turn over by its own gravity and assume the posi tion seen in Fig. 3, allowing the acid which it contains to escape freely and mingle with the alkaline solution contained in the main reservoir A for the purpose of generating the carbonic-acid gas, as required. G is the stopcock, by which the liquid contained in the vesselAis ejected into a flexible pipe, (not shown,) and thence onto the fire, in the ordinary imanner. VBy pivoting the upper end of the frame C to the cap B so that it may be vibrated to either side, the length of the receptacle E may be made nearly equal to the inside diameter of the vessel A, the frame being forced out to one side by the turning over of the receptacle, as seen in red in Fig. 3, and we are thus enabled to employ a receptacle, E, of greaterlength than would be practicable were the frame C attached rigidly to the cap B, and

`consequently the diameter of the lopening at the top of the main reservoir and the 'size of the cap B and parts connected 'therewith are reduced, thereby increasing their strength and reducing their cost.

The above-described device is cheap, simple, and reliable, and by its use a uid acid (which is cheap, and instantaneously mixes With the alkali) may bef'advantageously emroded and injured is avoided, as the aciddoes notcome in contact there-with.

We do not conne ourselves `to the vparticular method above'described of supporting the receptacle E, as it is evident that it may be supportedin some other manner, so as to admit of its being overturned within the lreservoir A,

andits contents discharged bymechanism oper ated from the outside of the apparatus, without departin gfrom the spirit of our invention; and, if desired, this receptacle E may be left-open at the top instead of bein gprovidedwith a stopper; butin such case its mouth-must beabove the level of the alkaline solution iu the reser-V ceptacle E by means of a stopper or cover, as it allows the apparatus to be transported and roughly handled Without any liability of the acid and alkali coming into contact with each other, which Would be likely to occur were the top of the receptacle E leftopen.

What We claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An open o r closed receptacle for containing one of the gas generating ingredients, when so arranged that it may be turned over Within the main reservoir, by means of suitable mechanism operated from the outside of the apparatus, to bring the acid and alkali incontact with each other to generate carbonio-acid gas, as set forth.

Also, the 'receptacle E, so hung or supported inthe frame C, attachedto the cap B,

uthat it may turnover within the reservoirA on the withdrawal of the stopper g, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

3. Also, a frame, C, pivoted to the cap B, so as to allow the receptacle E to turn overwithin the reservoir A, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

WALLACEl H. BATE. GEO. F. PINKHAM. Vitnesses:

P. E. TESOHEMACHER, W. J. CAMBRIDGE.

voir A. We prefer, however, to close the re 

